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Baked Vegetable Tacos

Today is the first Friday of Lent, so I’m kicking off my annual Lenten project – sharing meatless meals every Friday. What began as simply a way to keep from eating plain spaghetti and pizza every Friday has grown into one of my favorite yearly blog projects.

But, nine years on, how do I keep this series fresh? I’ve spent a bunch of time thinking about our family’s current needs and how to get them to reflect in my meatless Friday posts.

One of the things I kept coming back to is that I pretty much hate cooking on Fridays. I’m burnt out from the week and just trying to survive – so I’ve been relying a lot on meals prepped ahead. Because of this, all of the recipes I’ll be sharing in this year’s series can be made or prepped ahead, so your Friday work is minimal.

Take this tacos, for example. The veggie filling in them is simple enough for a weeknight, but it can also be made ahead, which is what I did. It’s super easy to reheat the veggies a little, throw them in taco shells, top them with cheese and pop dinner in the oven. Ten minute meal on a Friday? I am so down for that.

These were actually born out of a request by my 2-year-old. She asked for “veggie tacos”, so they went on the meal plan. I was delighted that both kids loved them! This is also a really easy recipe to adapt – switch out for your favorite veggies, or even add it a protein of your choice . Black beans would be an awesome addition to the filling – or even some precooked, chopped chicken, if you’re not trying to keep it meatless.

Chop all the veggies into bite-size pieces, approximately the same size. Drizzle olive oil over them and toss to coat. Sprinkle seasonings over them and toss until evenly distributed. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are tender and starting to caramelize.

To cook now, place taco shells in a baking dish so their openings are up. Divide veggies evenly among shells and top with cheese. Return to the oven for a few minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the shells are crisp around the edges.

To cook later, transfer the roasted vegetables to a container and refrigerate. When ready to serve tacos, warm up for a minute or two in the microwave. Place taco shells in a baking dish so their openings are up. Divide veggies evenly among shells and top with cheese. Return to the oven for a few minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the shells are crisp around the edges.